I saw one of the most compelling documentaries I have seen in a while last night.

It was called Deep Water. It was made by the producers of Into the Void. Deep Water was the story of a man who entered a yacht race in 1968 that involved circumnavigating the globe alone without making any stops. Not only is the story interesting, but it was well played by the filmmaker. Really Great.

I recently picked up a VHS copy of the movie Sleepaway CAmp at a yard sale. 1983 wa a magical year for cinema. Like most of you, I was wondering what has been going on with the Sleepaway CAmp franchise since 1983. For your convenience, I am doing a brief summary of the information I have unearthed on the series.

The slasher film Sleepaway Camp has two sequals. Both star Bruce Springsteen’s younger sister and have plots involving the young girl from Sleepaway Camp1 returning to camp as a transsexual camp counselor later in life. The director of the first film did not direct the other two Sleepaway CAmp films, however he has a Sleepaway Camp film planned that will ignore the plot lines of Sleepaway CAmps 2 + 3, picking up where the original Sleepaway CAmp left off. The director of Sleepaway CAmps 2 + 3 also has another film planned that will keep his Sleepaway CAmp plotline relevant. The director of Sleepaway Camp 1 has another film planned after his first new Sleepaway CAmp film is finished called Sleepaway CAmp: Reunion that will round off his plot line.

I am kinda torn here because I feel like the directors of both Sleepaway CAmp movies could put aside thier differences, they could develop a Sleepaway CAmp plot line that would span a consistent timeline of the three new Sleepaway CAmp films that they have planned.Â Imagine what could be accomplished with two directors working to maintain a steady plot line for the Sleepaway Camp series. However, artistic vision is entirely relevant and must be respected. It would be unfair of us to ask one to bow to the other. My call in this situation is to respectfully support both Sleepaway CAmp time lines.

We are about to finish editing Vinyl Scrapyard. The thirty minute documentary about record store clerks and their feelings about the dot com era will be screened at SMASH! Records in Washington D.C. in early June. Dates to follow soon. Keep in touch about it.

Thanks everyone who is reading and stocking Cramhole #2. I am psyched to be hearing back about it. There is a mention of it in the recent issue of Giant Robot; Issue #53. I really appreciate a nice mention in a magazine I admire so much. We are planning more zine exploits for the future. Stay tuned.

I realized the other day that two screen gems have never been released on DVD. Let’s not forget that media format changes are just a ruse to get us to buy more shit, but it does seem a shame that two great movies are left out of the mix. Both star film actor Adrienne Shelly. Sadly, Shelly was murdered weeks before the release of her critically acclaimed film Waitress in 2007. Praise for Waitress surely brought forth some of the recognition she deserved, but Shelly is one of the tragically overlooked actors of our time. All the more reason that these two movies should be revisited and brought around for the next gen to appreciate.

Trust- Hal Hartley
It is ironic that this movie never made it to DVD as the story follows an extreme pessimist who is good with electronics but hates progress. His reluctance to fix televisions keeps him from finding a job in electronics. His accidental meeting with a pregnant teenager (played by Adrienne Shelly) creates a dynamic that serves as a prototype for the unlikely friends indie movie. Hartley deserves a wider audience for Trust. It is a well written character movie. Fans of Buffalo 66 should give this one a go.

Hold Me, Thrill Me Kiss Me- Joel Hershman
I saw this movie in the theater because John Waters type humor was promised in the review. Hold Me, Thrill Me Kiss Me is the story of a robber hiding in a trailer park while he awaits a phony identity that will get him out of the country. While he waits, he falls for the sister of an aggressive stripper. His attempt to hide becomes compromised by the stripper’s reluctance to allow her sister to be with him. An eccentric ensemble of trailer park characters keep him in and out of trouble as he fights to keep his head down and win the affections of the saintly sister (played by Adrienne Shelly). While not as crass as John Waters’ humor, Joel Hershman created a wonderfully encapsulated world around the trailer park in the film that a Waters fan could not help but appreciate.

If there is a DVD called George of the Jungle: Part II starring Brendan Frasier, then certainly the industry could make room for these two underrated pictures. Until then, dust off you VCR and spent the three bucks it will cost to hunt down these two VHS tapes and have a kick ass double feature. Invite your friends over and charge them a quarter. Or don’t. After all, I am just another overweight opinionated zine nerd. What do I know???